Climate, Energy, and Health

Climate Change and Health

“There are two ways to think about public health. One is of public health measures, like vaccination preparedness and so on. But the other is ecological, environmental, and social conditions that underlie our health. And that’s where we’re seeing the greatest threat for health from climate change.” -Paul Epstein, M.D., former Associate Director, Center for Health and the Global Environment, author, Changing Planet, Changing Health

Global climate change is one of the most pressing and present scientific issues of this century. Rising temperature, sea level rise, extreme weather events, compromised air quality, and emergence of disease are all impacting this planet to varying degrees. Climate change has multiple implications for human health.

The following are direct and indirect ways that climate change impacts human health, both now and in the future:

heatwaves

asthma and allergies

spread of infectious disease

extreme weather events

drought

food insecurity

impacts to the complex ecological systems that support life on earth

Classroom Connection

CHGE Education lessons and associated materials are created by our team of content developers, expert teachers, and resources created by others that we higly recommned.

Explore the Climate and Energy Resources in this section to find hands-on, classroom tested, standards based resources which include topics such as:

health effects of climate change

loss of biological diversity

energy issues

food security

climate refugees.

ecosystems services

medicines from nature

endangered species

Featured Resources

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Full Cost Accounting for the Life Cycle of Coal

Life cycle impacts of coal cost the US public a third to over one half a trillion dollars annually.